


Resurgence

by DestinyMass



Series: The Andromeda Chronicles [2]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Action, Adventure & Romance, Angst, M/M, Psychological Horror, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-05-13 00:46:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14738930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestinyMass/pseuds/DestinyMass
Summary: Five years have passed since the Initiative first arrived in Andromeda. In those five years, the Kett have been driven back to the edges of the Heleus cluster, the settlements have expanded to become thriving metropolises, the Nexus has become a thriving hub with the rescue of the Quarian ark and establishment of a council, and the Angara have reached heights not seen since the beginning of the Scourge. Despite this ‘golden age’ of Heleus, secrets are lurking below the surface. On an isolated planet, a remnant structure which dwarfs the discovery of Meridian is stirring with the arrival of an expedition led by Sara, while Scott and the other Pathfinder’s face a new threat that could endanger the entire cluster.





	1. Planning Ahead

**Author's Note:**

> Hello to anyone reading this! This story has been in my cooking pot for a while now, and was originally penned for the Mass Effect Big Bang. I hope you enjoy this little story of mine!

In one of the most remote corners of Heleus, almost completely hidden by the Scourge, is a small, insignificant looking planet. Devoid of any major lifeforms, the rumbling that was emanating from the planets core went unnoticed. There were buildings still dotted around the landscape, remains of huge cities that had long since been reclaimed by the environment. If anyone was to visit this dead planet, they would find a sombre atmosphere, as if the planet itself was mourning the loss of its inhabitants. The overgrown streets were cracked and in some places lost entirely, former skyscrapers pointed jagged shapes above, having collapsed after centuries of misuse. One of the few structures to have survived mostly intact was a domed structure high up in the mountains overlooking one of the ruined cities. Power still ran through the circuits, the generators that powered this place hidden deep below the earth had survived. In the centre of this structure was a large hatch built into the rock. Computers that had been on standby whirred to life, an automated warning waking them. The three words that the VI spoke echoed through the lifeless chamber.

“They are here,”

The hatch opened by a fraction, and once again the core rumbled, but this time, it was accompanied by a deafening scream. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

The light of a nearby star bathed the Tempest’s conference room in an orange glow. Hushed voices whispered to each other, wondering why they had been called for an emergency meeting. Vetra had been the first to arrive, having been playing with the Pyjak when the meeting was announced. Jaal and Liam had followed soon after, no doubt having been tinkering with another piece of kit in engineering. Drack had been next, grumbling to himself about kids and respect. Last in had been Peebee and Cora, who had been working on Peebee’s remnant VI. Cora glanced around, it was unusual for the Pathfinder to call a meeting and not already be present, he had become much more punctual after Cora had chewed his ass out for sleeping in and purposefully missing several meetings with the former head of the Initiative, Tann.

“Don’t tell me Scott’s already forgotten he called a meeting,” Cora exclaimed, partially amused and partially pissed she’d been dragged away from her work.

“That would be a new record even for him!” sniggered Peebee, clearly looking forward to watching the ass whooping Scott was sure to receive. The comm crackled to life, and the familiar voice of SAM came through.

“Can I have your attention please,” He began.

“The Pathfinder did not call this meeting, I took the liberty of requesting you here, without Scott, as there is someone on the Nexus who wishes to speak to you privately,”

As if it had been timed, the light on the hologram projector began blinking, indicating an incoming call. Liam, who was closest to it, turned it on, and the crew of the Tempest were greeted by the sight of a familiar grinning face.

“So nice to see you again, I must say you’re all looking well,” Drawled the man, Reyes.

“Vidal? What on earth are you doing on the Nexus, and more importantly, what do you think you’re doing, calling a meeting with the Pathfinder’s team?” Asked Liam, perplexed by the confidence (or, as he preferred, arrogance) of the man currently beaming at him through the projection.

“I like to think you’re at least partially my team, after all I am Mr Pathfinder,” Reyes chortled, flashing the wedding band he wore around his neck.

“Yeah, I’m still not sure how you tricked Scott into that one,” Liam retorted.

“You should be more polite when talking about the Queen of Kadara Liam, he picked Reyes all by himself,” Interjected Vetra, trying not to show her amusement at her own comment.

Reyes, Peebee and Drack all laughed at Vetra’s comment, an inside joke between them ever since Scott had first started dating Reyes. Cora was the one to get things back on track.

“So, Reyes, what are you doing on the Nexus? Shouldn’t you be on Kadara pretending not to be in charge? And why did you want to speak with us?"

Reyes turned his attention to Cora, regarding her with a small smirk as he chose his words.

“It’s about Scott actually, so I would appreciate it if you don’t tell him what I’m about to tell you, as I’d rather he hears it from me” he paused for a moment, ensuring he gained a nod from every person gathered.

“You’re looking at the new representative of Kadara Port to the Nexus, and I was hoping you’d be so kind as to tell me when you’ll be returning to the Nexus, it’s our anniversary next week and I’d very much like to know if we’ll be spending it together,”

“Excuse me? You’re a representative on the Nexus? How the hell did you manage that? Aren’t you supposed to be running Kadara?” Asked Vetra, her mandibles twitching with confusion.

“But I don’t run Kadara, I’m just a humble smuggler turned government official,” Reyes replied wryly. Liam couldn’t help but scoff.

“Yeah and I’m director Tann,”

“All right knock it off you two, Reyes, we’re expecting to be in about four days, we’re assisting a research group on Khi Tasira.” Vetra said, ignoring the look of pure horror on Cora’s face for disclosing where they were.

“Thank you Vetra, I’m sure it’s riveting work there. Thank you all for your time, I’m sure I’ll see you around,” With a wink and a smile, Reyes was gone, the air where his hologram had been still crackling.

“I hate that smug bastard,” Liam said to no one in particular.

“Look I’m not his biggest fan either, but we’ve gotta try to get along, for Scott if not for us,” Cora replied.

“I am still unsure as to why Vidal contacted us, he didn’t really say anything we couldn’t have found out ourselves,” Jaal piped up.

“Mr. Vidal has sent a list of instructions pertaining to his upcoming anniversary with the Pathfinder. He specific instructions that I will send to your omnitools. He asks that you keep it a secret from the Pathfinder and that when discussing your roles, you are to refer to it as project stun,” SAM announced. If the AI could show emotion, SAM was clearly amused.

“Of course he’d call it something like that. Well, we’re not doing anything major now so I suppose we can have a look at what he wants,” Sighed Vetra, opening Reyes’ file on her omnitool.

The others followed suit, SAM had highlighted their specific roles for them, most of them were rather mundane. Get or fabricate a bouquet of Scott’s favourite flowers, get supplies to decorate Reyes’ apartment, book one of the larger rooms on the Nexus recreation centre. It was all simple enough, with a few vid-calls everything could be arranged before the Tempest was due back, and collected while Scott was in his debriefing. One of Cora’s jobs made her raise her eyebrow.

“Reyes wants what?! What is he planning on doing?”

Vetra looked over and laughed. “That’s nothing, I’ve seen that dozens of times, look at what he wants me to do,”

Once again Cora’s eyebrows met her hairline and her mouth parted in shock.

“WHAAAAAAT?!?!”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

While most of the crew were collapsed on the conference room floor in tears over some of Reyes’ requests, Scott was deep in conversation with his sister in his quarters. His appearance had changed drastically since he had been in andromeda, despite the care of Lexi and several other doctors on the Nexus, some of his wounds had left scars, the most noticeable of which was underneath his right eye. During his recuperation he had spent a lot of time working out in order to help speed his recovery, and had left his physique exceptionally chiselled, much to Reyes’ delight. He had also allowed his stubble to grow out into a neatly trimmed beard, which he was currently stroking while he thought.

“Most of the scientists are focusing on the control room and lab, as well as the corridors that link them. They think that’s where the most useful information will be, are you sure about going off to the opposite side of the station?” Scott asked, intrigued by his sister’s proposition.

“I’m certain there’s something there that could be useful. When SAM scanned the place he noted a room in the area that was self-contained. Its power isn’t connected to the rest of the station, and there’s a databank that appears to still be working,” She replied, practically bouncing with excitement as she continued.

“And I spoke to the lead scientist and he agreed to let me go and take a look provided I can find a couple of people to go with me in case there’s any remnant bots around,”

“And I’m assuming you want me to go with you?”

“And Peebee if she wants in, I think this will really intrigue her,” Said Sara.

“How about we go and ask her now? We can sort it out now while she isn’t too busy,” Scott offered.

“That would be great! SAM, where’s Peebee now?” Asked Sara.

“Peebee is currently in the conference room Sara. Readings are showing an increase in endorphins. She is in a good mood,” SAM replied.

“Guess this is the best time to go ask her then huh? Let’s go,”

The twins left Scott’s quarters and made their way to the conference room. Opting to take the slightly longer route that had no ladders, they bumped into Lexi who was just leaving the medical room. She regarded them with a raised eyebrow before she spoke.

“I don’t suppose you’re down here for your check-ups? You both missed your last one,”

“Sorry Lexi we’re on our way to talk to Peebee. We’ll definitely make the next one though!” Scott said as they walked past Lexi and through the door to the engineering room.

Lexi stared after them, shaking her head and letting out a long-suffering sigh. “I don’t know why I try anymore, they never show up unless they’re half dead,” She said aloud.

“Dr T’perro, can I assist in any way?” SAM asked.

“Thanks SAM but no, I’ll just have to wait until they get banged up again,” Lexi replied.

Scott and Sara could hear the laughing before they had reached the conference room. Looking at each other quizzically, they walked up the slope and were greeted by the sight of Peebee and Vetra stood in in the centre of the rest of the crew, the majority of whom were collapsed on the floor holding their sides. Scott tried to ask what was so funny but was stopped when Vetra, oblivious to the twins’ presence, said;

“Oh little duck, you’re doing so well, I knew you were talented, but I had no idea this was one of your special skills,” She said in a terrible impersonation of Reyes, and holding what looked like a pair of handcuffs.

“What can I say, I’ve picked up a few of your tricks, Shena,” Peebee said in an equally terrible impression of Scott.

Scott had gone incredibly red and was suddenly fascinated by his hands, refusing to look at Sara who was trying her best not to burst out laughing.

“Oh Scott, you’re so filthy, I never realised all it took was my tongue to…”

“Woah okay guys that’s enough!” Scott practically screamed as Sara finally broke down and held on to the wall for support.

“Ryder! We were just er, were just…..” Peebee stuttered as the rest of the crew snickered.

“I don’t want to know, I really don’t, I’m gonna forget this happened,” Scott said hastily, his face burning with embarrassment.

“Actually Peebee, we, we were hoping to talk to you about something,” Sara managed to say in-between breaths.

“Oh! Okay, come on, we’ll talk downstairs,” Peebee replied, walking past Scott with a grin. Scott groaned, there was no way he was going to live this down.

He wondered what had happened to cause Vetra and Peebee to act out Reyes and himself, though he was pretty sure he wouldn’t ike this answer. He followed Peebee to the research console, and quickly began speaking.

“We had SAM examine Khi Tasira, and he’s found a sealed off room that isn’t connected to the main power grid, with a databank that appears to still be working. Sara wants to go have a look to see if there’s any information that could be useful,” He said.

“Yikes, way to make it sound boring Scotty, SAM and I think that it could be some kind of records room, or maybe a lab for secret research, I’ve already asked and got permission to go take a look and I was hoping you’d come with us,” Sara said.

Peebee looked at the model of the station Sara had brought up while she was talking, and zoomed in on the area where the room was.

“Sure! I’m in, I’ve wanted to explore the station for ages but they never let me,” She huffed.

“That’s great! I’ve had some equipment put aside for us so we should be able to head straight there first thing, if you wanna come with me I’ve got some ideas we can go over?” Sara asked.

“Let’s go,” Said Peebee, offering her arm to Sara, who took it and headed off in the direction of Peebee’s escape pod.

Scott watched them leave and let out a sigh, opening his omni tool, he sent a message to Reyes about what he had witnessed in the conference room, he had a feeling Reyes had played a part.

Reyes was relaxing in his private quarters, enjoying a night off after having spent the day in meetings. His omni tool buzzed, opening it, he read the message Scott had sent him.

_I just witnessed the horrendous sight of Peebee and Vetra imitating us, with very specific details. Know anything about it?_

Reyes laughed as he typed his reply. I assure you, I never share private details, that’s for me to enjoy. If you’re in private why don’t I show you?

Scott’s heart fluttered as he read Reyes’ reply. He still had work to do, but it had been a while since he had actually spoken to Reyes.

“SAM, can you make sure I’m not disturbed? And maybe focus on anyone or anything else than me for a bit?”

“Of course, Pathfinder,” SAM replied. Scott hurried to his quarters. He stripped off his shoes and called Reyes through his omni tool.

“Scott, that didn’t take you as long as I thought,” Teased Reyes.

“I haven’t heard from you in ages, it’s nice to talk to you and not just send messages,” Scott replied.

“Likewise, I’ve missed you,” “But before we catch up I need to know, what did you say to the others?” Scott asked.

“I asked them to get some things for me. I can’t help it if their imaginations ran away,” Reyes replied.

“I'm not going to let this go Reyes, but I don’t want to spend the rest of the night talking about it, so how about we move on?” Scott suggested.

“That works for me, how have you been?” Reyes asked.

“Same as ever really, up at the crack of dawn, working with the team on Khi Tasira, and then falling asleep as soon as I get back. Although Sara thinks there’s a room on the station worth investigating, so we’re going to check that out tomorrow,” Scott said.

“What’s so special about this room?” Reyes asked.

“It’s completely separated from the main power supply, so she thinks there’s something in there that the Jardaan were trying to protect,”

“Interesting. Promise me you’ll be careful, I’d hate for you to be hurt just before you get back,” Said Reyes.

“I’ll be careful, although you know I have to go back to the Nexus before I can come to Kadara,” Said Scott.

“About that, I’ve actually moved to the Nexus. I’m the representative for Kadara Port,”

“You’re the new representative? How are you gonna manage to run Kadara away from the Nexus?”

“I’ve managed so far, I don’t think it will be a problem, but enough of this work talk, I want you to do something for me,” Said Reyes, his voice lowered.

“Oh really? And just what might that be?” Scott asked, grinning slightly.

“I want you to strip down to your underwear and send me a picture,” Reyes said.

“I can do that if you do the same,” Replied Scott.

He wasted no time in doing as Reyes asked. He discarded his clothes, the lights of Khi Tasira highlighted his toned physique, and his scars stood out on his fair skin. Reyes insisted he found them sexy, and always made sure kiss every single one of them when he made his way down Scott’s body. Settling on the bed, Scott took and sent a picture before he spoke.

“Well I’m ready, what about you?” He asked. His omni tool buzzed in reply. He was treated to an image of Reyes’ athletic physique wearing nothing but a pair of form fitting purple boxers, and the man’s trademark smirk plastered across his face.

“Does that answer your question?” Reyes asked huskily.

“It certainly does,” Scott replied.

“Now how about you get yourself hard for me, I want to see how long it takes before you can’t help but rip those boxers off,” Said Scott, his own hand already grasping at his firming manhood.

“And just what would you do if I had you hear, all to myself?” Reyes asked, happily obliging Scott’s request.

“You’ve got a new place. Plenty of spots will need to be christened,” Said Scott, already straining against the confines of his underwear.

“That’s true, there’s a great window I could take you against,”

“Exhibitionism Reyes? You’re bold,” Truthfully, the idea of Reyes taking him somewhere anyone could see turned on Scott more than he would care to admit.

“I know, and I know you love it. After all it was your idea to use the Nomad while it was on the Tempest,” Reyes replied, sliding down his boxers to free his erection. Scott had also removed his boxers, and was freely sliding his hand up and down his shaft.

“And I enjoyed it thoroughly. But I’ll enjoy it even more when I’m back with you, I think you’ll enjoy some tricks I’ve picked up, Shena,”

“Hey, that’s my special skill. Don’t forget it doesn’t take me long to make you cum when I use my mouth,” Reyes replied.

“Oh don’t worry, I plan to make good use of that skill when I’m back,” Scott said, his breathing hitched.

“Close already? I had no idea my voice could get you off so easily,” Reyes teased.

“Shut up Reyes, I’m close, don’t stop me,” Scott clapped back.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” His voice lowered to a whisper.

“Just know that the next time you do this it’s going to be because we’ve spent hours making love. I will have you begging for release. And when I finally let you, I’m not going to waste a single drop,” Reyes said, pushing Scott over the edge.

“Reyes, I want you now. Shit, I’m gonna, I’m, I’m coming. Fuck!” Scott exclaimed, arching his back as he climaxed. Panting heavily, he wiped away the cum that had hit his eye, listening intently as Reyes also climaxed.

“Oh shit,” He heard Reyes say, before he moaned loudly. They were silent for a moment, each of them spent. Reyes was the one who broke the silence.

“Are you in as much a state as I am?” He asked, sending Scott a picture of the aftermath. He had caught himself on the chin, and his chest was glistening with wet spots.

“Definitely,” Scott replied, sending his own picture.

“You might want to wash your hair, you’ve got some in it,” Reyes laughed.

“I can’t be bothered to move,” Said Scott.

“I love you Reyes,”

“I love you too, Scott, and I miss you,”


	2. The Secret of Khi Tasira

Scott slowly shambled towards the showers. _God_ he wasn’t a morning person. He had spent the night talking to Reyes, who had assured him that he had no clue why Peebee and Vetra had been imitating them. Scott had laughed, not entirely believing him, but decided to let it go. They had spent the rest of the night catching up, it had been almost a month since they had seen each other. Scott had been surprised to learn that Reyes had been appointed Kadara Ports representative to the Nexus, nevertheless he supported Reyes’ move. He had told Reyes of the plan to explore a new section of Khi Tasira, and Reyes had insisted he stay safe. The rest of the night they had engaged in more, adult, conversation that Scott tried not to focus on, he didn’t need to bump into anyone in the shower while his manhood was standing tall. The showers were empty when Scott arrived. He was thankful he wouldn’t have to hear any morning chatter when he was busy trying to wake himself up. Turning the water on, he stepped under the refreshing stream, washing the night before off him. He was washing his hair and humming to himself when he heard the door open.

“Morning Ryder! Didn’t expect to see you up and about so early,” It was Gil. Scott opened his eyes and gave him a small smile.

“Morning Gil, trust me if I had my way there’s no way I’d be up,” Gil laughed as he stepped into the shower next to Scott.

As soon as he stepped in he put his head underneath the stream, flattening his hair. Scott let out a chuckle. It was so rare to see Gil without his trademark quiff. Gil was silent for a moment as he let the water run down his body, easing the tension from a long night of working on the Tempest’s systems. He let out a soft moan of appreciation.

“So Scott, I hear I missed a night at the improv. Apparently it was the night of you and Reyes,” Gil said with a smirk.

“I’m not gonna hear the end of this for weeks am I? Reyes claims he has no clue why they were doing it but I have a feeling he’s somehow involved,” Scott replied.

“If I know that shady bastard, and I think I do, he’ll have said something. Isn’t it your anniversary next week? If I was a betting man, and I am, I’d say he’s planning something and has roped the team into helping, and he probably let something slip,” Gil offered.

“I doubt Reyes let anything slip. If he said anything he did it _accidentally on purpose_ , though you might be right, and it’s been almost a month since I saw him,” Scott sighed.

“I miss him, I can’t wait to get back to the Nexus,”

Gil was washing his arms while he was listening to Scott. He was getting some more body wash out the bottle when he spoke.

“Oh, I bet you can’t wait, it’s been so long since you saw him we all know what’s going to happen,” He said while swaying his hips suggestively and making finger guns. Scott laughed, slightly embarrassed.

“I guess you’re right, what about you and Avitus though? Will you get a chance to see him when we’re back? How have you guys been anyway, it’s been a while since we all got together on our off time,” Scott enquired.

“We’re still going strong, he’s doing so well these days. I’m proud of him. It was our anniversary just before we came out here. And you’re right, it has been a while since we had a double date. Tell you what, after your anniversary we’ll all go out together, sound good?” Said Gil.

“Sure, that sounds great, I’ll let Reyes know,” Scott replied.

They finished the rest of their ablutions in a comfortable silence, occasionally exchanging friendly barbs. Scott dried off while Gil brushed his hair into his trademark quiff.

“So, coffee?” Enquired Gil. Scott nodded the affirmative.

“Coffee,” They left the showers and walked over to the kitchen. Scott prepared the coffee maker while Gil rooted through the cupboards for food. He let out a triumphant yell when he found a half full box of protein bars. Tossing them on the counter, he turned to Scott.

“They’re not steak sandwiches but it’s better than nothing,” He said.

“Why would you even mention steak? You don’t know how much I miss it,” Scott moaned. Gil laughed and patted the Pathfinder on the back.

“Oh come on, I miss it to, I can’t wait ‘till they find Andromeda’s equivalent to it,” Scott laughed.

“On to a more serious note, a little Peebee told me your going gallivanting around the station today. Hoping to find some buried treasure?” Gil teased.

“Something along those lines, I’ll settle for some tech or information though,” Scott replied with a sly smile.

Scott took a sip of his coffee, hoping the caffeine would help wake him up. He was thankful that of all the people he could’ve bumped into in the shower it was Gil. They had settled into a comfortable friendship over the years, and both had a deep respect for the other. Scott had been the one to convince Gil not to go through with Jill’s expectation that he should have a baby with her, and after that conversation Gil had slowly reduced his dependence on her, to the point that they only really spoke when Gil was on the Nexus. He often joked that Scott had usurped her position as his best friend, not that Gil minded, Scott was more open and understanding, and in the months before he had met Avitus he had secretly wished he had tried a little harder to get Scott before he met Reyes. When Scott looked up Sara was poking her head through the door, already prepared to leave.

“Have you only just woken up? Come on, hurry up! Peebee and I are ready to go!”

“Sara, it’s still early, the scientists won’t be up yet, and none of the equipment will be ready,” Scott said, suddenly wishing he had more coffee to deal with his sister’s early bird mentality.

“That’s why I put some aside, hurry up Scotty, we wanna get going,”

Scott grumbled under his breath and waved his mug at Sara, indicating he was having more coffee before anything else. Sara stuck out her tongue at her twin, and disappeared around the corner, no doubt going to talk to Peebee. Scott put his head in his hands and let out a groan before going to refill his mug. He walked to the door, before turning to Gil.

“There’s a good chance I’m going to die of sleep deprivation today. If that happens I want you to make sure Sara doesn’t get away with it,” He said.

“You got it Pathfinder, I’ll make sure she’s tried for murder,” Gil said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Still grumbling to himself, Scott walked back to his quarters. Setting the precious caffeine down, he stretched and scratched his beard. Today was going to be a long day, he was sure of it.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The corridors of Khi Tasira were eerily quiet this far away from the control centre. It was clear that no one had been here for a long time, a fact that Sara was keen to point out.

“You guys realise that we might be the first people to come down here since the Jardaan?” She asked excitedly.

Peebee was equally excited, “I know! And if you’re right Sara, if there’s something down here it could change everything we know about them!”

“I know!” Replied Sara.

Scott couldn’t help but chuckle at their excitement. Peebee had been researching the remnant since before he had arrived in Andromeda and Sara had quickly latched on when she realised how similar it was to the research into Protheans.

“I know you’re excited but try to stay focused alright, we don’t want a remnant bot to surprise us,”

He said. Peebee rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at the Pathfinder’s back while Sara muttered a barely audible “party pooper” under her breath. Scott pretended not to hear. They made their way through the winding corridors, only encountering a handful of remnant. In the months following the Archon’s defeat dozens of scientists had been sent to the massive station under the protection of Angaran and Initiative soldiers to examine it and clear out any threats. The result had been the discovery of a control panel that had been able to deactivate the majority of remnant on the station. Scott had been dragged in to interface with the console, and he still insisted it had given him a painful shock that caused his legs to jerk uncontrollably.

“Here we are, according to SAM’s data the room should be just around the corner,” Said Sara, bringing the others out of their thoughts.

Bringing his rifle up, Scott approached the turn cautiously. Better safe than sorry, he thought. Turning the corner, he was greeted by an empty corridor that ended in door that showed signs of damage.

“SAM, what am I looking at?” Asked Scott.

“This damage is from an unknown source. The scorch marks indicate an energy based weapon, however there is trace elements that match the composition of the Scourge,”

“Wait, are you saying that someone was blasting at this door with miniaturised Scourge technology?” Scott asked incredulously.

“I cannot be certain without a closer examination, but that appears to be the case,”

“Woah, weird,” Said Peebee. “Nowhere else that we’ve examined has any damage like that. Do you think it’s possible that whatever was attacking the Jardaan breached the station?” She asked.

“Best guess off the top of my head, whoever the Jardaan were fighting knew about this room, and knew there was something important in there. The fact that this is the only part of the station we know of that has this damage suggests they sent an equivalent of special forces to retrieve or destroy what was in there,” Scott offered.

“Do you think they managed to get in?” Asked Sara.

“Only one way to find out,” Said Scott as he interfaced with the door.

They waited with bated breath while SAM worked on the door mechanisms to open it. After what felt like an eternity the door clicked and hissed, signalling SAM had successfully unlocked it. Scott murmured a quiet ‘hell yeah’ and approached the door, which slowly slid open. Scott let out a yell and jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding being crushed under a remnant bot that had fallen through the door.

“Woah, that was a close one,” He remarked.

“You would’ve been fine, besides it’s already been deactivated,” Said Peebee, already examining the bot. “It’s been deactivated for quite a while, and look! It’s got the same damage as the corridor, it must have been defending whatever’s behind the door,” She said.

“We’re definitely close to something important. I just know it,”

Said Sara.

“Well, let’s go find out,” Scott replied, stepping over the bot and through the door. Scott’s torch barely made a dent in the pitch black. He walked carefully, looking for a console.

“I thought you said this place had its own power supply? How come it’s so dark in here?” He asked.

“It does, I never said it was working,” Sara replied from outside.

“Pathfinder, the power is merely on standby, there is a console six feet to your right that should turn it on,” SAM announced.

Still moving carefully so he didn’t trip on anything that might be lying on the floor, Scott made his way to where SAM had said the console would be. He brought his hands up to feel for it, and grinned when his hands made contact with the familiar shape of a remnant console. “Bingo,” Scott extended his hand over the console, allowing SAM to find the correct sequence of glyphs needed to reactivate the power. It took a moment, but eventually the soft hum of machinery announced their success, and the lights of the room finally flickered on, bathing the room in a harsh blue glow. Scott turned, ready to tell Peebee and Sara to come through, but the sight that greeted him took the words out of his mouth.

The room looked like a bloodbath. There were dozens of remnant bots scattered about the room, most had the same scorch marks as the one that had almost collapsed on him, and a few had large holes blasted through them, exposing the inner circuitry. Scott couldn’t see any bodies but there was what looked like dried blood covering the walls and floor. Most of the carnage appeared to be focused around a small circular platform that was attached to another console.

“Guys, you’re gonna want to get in here and see this,” He called to Peebee and Sara.

“About time! We thought you were gonna try and – oh,” Sara stopped midsentence as she entered and saw the state of the room.

“What? What’s going on?” Peebee asked as she followed.

“Well, damn,” She exhaled as she followed behind Sara. “What the hell happened here?” She wondered as she approached the nearest remnant, scanning it with her omni tool.

“I don’t know, but it all seems to focus around that console,” Scott replied, pointing it out.

“Well why don’t you go over there and work your Pathfinder magic and see what it can tell us,” Peebee replied. Scott gave her a nod, and cautiously approached the console, taking care not to step in any of the blood or remnant parts.

Sara was busy exploring the opposite side of the room, which was mostly free of wreckage.

“I don’t see any bodies or skeletal remains, but there must have been people in this room. There’s too much blood for no one to have died,” She remarked.

“We still don’t know what the Jardaan looked like, for all we know they dissolve into mist when they die,” Peebee replied, half joking.

Scott was listening to the two of them exchanging theories as to what happened when he heard a buzz from the console. The platform that was connected to it lit up and began to hum, and what sounded like an automated system began to speak.

“Shh, guys do you hear that? SAM, are you able to translate?”

“One moment Pathfinder,” SAM replied.

“Not one of the other remnant sites has a system that actually speaks, and there’s nothing like this on the rest of the station that we’ve explored. I wonder what was so important about this place,” Said Sara, walking over to stand next to Scott.

“Pathfinder, the language appears to match the same linguistic structure as the glyphs we’ve found. However I am not able to fully translate,” Said SAM. Scott wasn’t able to reply before an alarm began ringing.

Looking at the platform, a figure appeared to be emerging from the light.

“What the hell!” He shouted.

The figure had completely emerged, and was looking at the trio of explorers in front of it. Shockingly, it looked like a human. Scott couldn’t believe it, and he whispered to the other two;

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

“Yeah, why does it look like an Asari?” Peebee replied.

“What? No it looks like –“

He was cut off by the figure in front of him speaking.


	3. A Strange Meeting

“Language translation decrypted. Two Non-local dialects. Origin: Outside Andromeda,” It said to no one in particular.

“You can understand us?” Sara asked, her voice tinged with surprise.

The figure shifted its gaze onto her, and tilted its head as if thinking over its answer.

“Yes. I have interfaced with the AI while it was connected to the console, I accessed its memory core and downloaded your languages, which I then deciphered so that I would be able to speak with you,”

“Are you an AI?” Asked Peebee.

“No, I am what you would consider a cross between a VI and an AI. I am able to assess situations and come up with solutions, and can operate with some degree of free will, though I can only do so within the confines of my programming. This is why you see me as a member of your own species, I believed it would help you adjust to my presence. But tell me, who are you and where do you come from? You are not native to Andromeda,” It asked.

“We’re from the Milky Way, it’s a galaxy about two point five million light years away. I’m Scott, my sister Sara and I are humans, and Peebee here is an Asari,” Scott answered.

“Ah, the Milky Way, our closest neighbouring galaxy. I am surprised to see you have managed to reach Andromeda,” The figure mused.

“What should we call you?” Asked Sara, clearly excited by this turn of events.

“I doubt you would be able to pronounce my name in your language, therefore you may refer to me as…… Khi Tasira,” It said.

“Khi Tasira? That’s the name of this place,” Said Peebee.

“That is the name that you use for this station, and I was designed to operate and defend it. I am the voice of Khi Tasira,” It said.

“Alright then, Khi Tasira, do you know what happened here? It looks like the station was attacked by something,” Scott asked.

“Not something, someone,” Khi Tasira replied.

“Long ago, my creators decided to create a new race, the Angara, who would be able to help them accomplish great feats that the Jardaan simply did not have the population to achieve. They were seeded on the planet Havarl, where they developed their own civilisation alongside my creators. When they were ready, my creators offered them a choice, aid them in constructing a golden system that would be a paradise, or continue along their own path. The majority chose to aid the Jardaan,” Khi Tasira continued.

“As such they created the vault system, all of which were linked to a central hub, Meridian, as you call it. Many of the planets in Heleus have a vault, some have been destroyed, and many others have been inactive for centuries and lost to the wilderness.” Khi Tasira paused before resuming.

“But I digress. There was a faction in the Jardaan, who believed that with their advanced technology they should not be helping the other races and instead should rule over them. Eventually this led a civil war which decimated the Jardaan and left them weak. Fearing that their infighting would lead to a war that ravaged the galaxy, my creators made plans to hide Meridian and leave the system. Before they were able to the opposing faction launched an all-out assault on the station to capture Meridian,”

“So what happened?” Asked Sara, curious.

“As well as the vault system, the Jardaan had also developed a devastating biological and technological weapon. You call it the Scourge. It was to be a last resort to end the fighting, it would seek out the Jardaan and their technology, and obliterate them entirely. The rebels had managed to steal the plans and developed them so that it would only target those without a unique biometric marker. They used it here to great effect, thought they could not disperse it widely without a trigger that was kept here. My creators fought to protect it, and when it became clear they could not, they destroyed it,”

“But if the trigger was destroyed how has the Scourge managed to decimate Heleus?” Asked Scott.

“My creators did not take into account that destroying the trigger would initiate a failsafe on our central planet. It activated the Scourge remotely, and wiped out the majority of the Jardaan within weeks. The survivors boarded two ships, intending to leave the system by escaping to the opposite side of the galaxy. One of their ships crashed on Elaaden, and I lost track of the other centuries ago. If that ship made it out of Heleus then there is a possibility they survived, and that their descendants are still watching the system,” Khi Tasira finished.

“I, I don’t know what to say. I wasn’t expecting any of this,” Said Peebee, stunned.

“Excuse me, Khi Tasira, I am curious to know. You mentioned a central planet from which the Scourge originates. My scans have not detected any planet like this, where is it?” SAM asked, speaking for the first time since Khi Tasira had appeared.

“I will share with you the coordinates, but I advise you not to go, it is likely deadly,” Khi Tasira replied.

“But if we went, could we deactivate the Scourge? Erase it from Heleus?” Asked Sara.

“Theoretically it would be possible, but should you attempt it I would advise extreme caution. The planet likely no longer what it used to be,” The AI replied.

“There is a great city on the planet, and hidden in the mountains above it is the station that released the Scourge. If you find it, you may be able to save Heleus. I must go, my power supplies are low and I need to conserve energy. I will speak with you again,” And with that, the figure disappeared, and the room was bathed in darkness once more.

The trio were silent for a while, each of them trying to process what had just transpired. Their torches were now the only source of light in the room, reflecting off the remains of the remnant bots eerily. Scott was the first to move, dodging around the bots and heading for the exit. The others quickly followed suit, moving slowly. Once they had exited the room, Scott spoke up.

“So, what do you guys think?2 He asked.

“I don’t know, I’m still trying to get over what happened, an actual speaking relic of the Jardaan. And the fact that they have a home planet here? That could be the key to destroying the Scourge? It doesn’t sound possible,” Sara replied, and Peebee nodded her agreement.

“And there wasn’t another race like we thought, it was a civil war. And the fact that there could be survivors elsewhere in Andromeda, it’s crazy,” Peebee added.

“Pathfinder, I could detect nothing to suggest Khi Tasira was lying, the coordinates it shared appear to be accurate, and they point to a location hidden deep within the Scourge,” SAM chimed in.

“So what do we do now?” Asked Peebee.

“We go back to the Nexus when our time here is up, and tell the leadership. With luck they’ll send a research team to see if we can’t find a way to destroy the Scourge,” Scott replied.

“So long as they let us go I’ll be happy, we are the ones who discovered this after all,” Peebee said.

Sara nodded her agreement, and Scott motioned for them to return to the main part of the station to report in. They made their way back in silence, occasionally sharing a short conversation. Peebee was now curious as to whether the AI was watching them, and if it had been aware of the assault against the Kett five years earlier. Scott thought it was unlikely, since he and SAM had manually overrode the stations control without problem.

They had finally reached the central part of the station and were busy sending the information they had gathered back to the Tempest when the lead researcher, a middle aged Salarian, came rushing over to them.

“I’m glad you’re back, I was just about to send a security team to find you and bring you back,” He said.

“Why? Did you need something from us?” Asked Scott.

“Not me, the Nexus. They sent out a call for all Pathfinder’s and their teams to return for an urgent meeting. Apparently there’s been an attack, but they haven’t said where or who was involved”

“An attack? I guess we’d better make our way back to the Nexus. Sorry if we’re gonna be leaving you short doctor,” Scott replied.

“No need to worry, this sounds more important than trawling through this station,” The doctor replied.

Unpacking their equipment as quickly as possible, Scott, Sara and Peebee hurried back to the Tempest. They were greeted by Gil’s voice, who was working underneath the Nomad.

“Hey guys, Suvi was hoping to speak with you about whatever it was you were sending her earlier,” He shouted to them.

“Thanks Gil, I’ll talk to her after we get going,” Scott replied.

“Get going? I thought we had another week here? Or did I finally sleep in?”

“All Pathfinder’s have been called back to the Nexus. Something about an attack,”

“Wait, an attack? Where?” Gil asked as he emerged from underneath the Nomad.

“They didn’t say, I guess we’ll find out when we get back,” Said Scott.


	4. Decisions

Reaching the bridge of the Tempest, Scott headed straight to Kallo, informing the Salarian that they had been called back to the Nexus and to make the necessary preparations in order to leave as soon as possible. Kallo informed Scott that he could have the Tempest ready to fly in an hour. Satisfied, Scott thanked Kallo and turned to face Suvi.

“Gil said you were looking for me?” He asked.

“Yes, not just you though, I need to talk to Sara and Peebee too,” She replied, standing up.

Scott followed her out of the bridge and down to engineering, where Peebee was talking with Gil. Noticing them on the lift, she briefly turned from her conversation.

“Sara’s gone for a shower, said something about feeling sticky. I assume you want both of us” She asked Suvi.

“I think that would be best, I’ve barely started analysing the data you sent over but I’ve already found some promising information,” She replied.

“I can make coffee if anyone wants any while you wait? I need some myself,” Gil offered.

“I’ll take some, and I’ll come help you” Scott replied, while Suvi also accepted the offer.

They made their way to the kitchen, barely exchanging any words. Gil managed to keep his questions to himself until the water began to boil.

“So, what happened on Khi Tasira? Suvi’s been practically leaping with excitement since you started sending the data over,” He asked.

“Honestly, I’m not entirely sure myself, we found some sort of VI, it was strange,” Scott replied, tipping his head backwards.

“It had coordinates that are outside what the Initiative has explored, and it claimed to know what happened to the Jardaan. If it’s telling the truth then this changes a whole lot,” He continued, watching as Gil poured the coffee.

“Woah, that’s some pretty big stuff, you think it was telling the truth?” Gil asked.

“I don’t see why it would lie, there was no reason to,” Scott replied.

“So what are you gonna do now?”

“Well we’ll have to tell the Nexus and see if we can send a team to explore the coordinates the VI shared, though that depends on how bad this attack was,” Scott answered, gratefully accepting the steaming mug Gil was offering.

Gil stared into his mug thoughtfully before he spoke.

“Y’know, if this thing is telling the truth then there is a very good chance they’ll name you king of the Initiative. And that means you’ll outrank me, not sure how I feel about that,” he joked.

“Aww don’t worry Gil, you’re the king of the riff-raff, no one can outrank you,” Scott teased.

“You’re right, I do keep everything running, you’d be lost without me. Now, what say we go back to the illustrious miss Anwar, she looked like she would burst she’s that excited,” said Gil.

Scott agreed, and they made their way back to Suvi, who had been joined by Sara, her hair still wet from the shower. Any other time and Scott would have been tempted to set his omni-tool to cold and pat her back, but he fought against this urge so they could speak.

“This data is unbelievable! I’ve barely started and what I’ve uncovered is amazing. There’s locations of remnant technology all across the cluster, and a couple of big signals that must be actual settlements. There’s the ship that crashed on Elaaden, the signal its sending out is quite large, but the biggest one is coming from just outside the cluster, beyond what we’ve explored,” Suvi practically shouted, causing Scott to wince.

“That must be the planet the VI told us about,” suggested Peebee, equally as excited.

“We’ve got to go check this out!” Sara added.

“Okay guys calm down, we still have to go speak to the Nexus before we can do anything, Kallo has us on the way now, so how about we all go and prepare a debriefing for them, and hopefully we’ll be able to go once we figure out more about this attack they mentioned,” Scott said firmly.

Sara sighed. “Fine,”

With the course of action settled, Scott withdrew to his quarters, electing to try and sleep for a while before the Tempest returned to the Nexus.

When the Tempest arrived at the Nexus, they found it in a state of heightened security. Militia members were patrolling, and many of the shops had closed. Seeing no sign of damage to the station, Scott approached one of the militia members and spoke to him.

“What’s going on? Has the Nexus been attacked?” he asked.

“Nah, they tried it, but those Angaran turrets we installed kept them away, they didn’t even make it close. They managed to get Podromos though, those shell heads did some pretty major damage there, luckily there wasn’t many casualties,” the militia guard replied.

“The leadership will be wanting to see you Pathfinder, I’d get there as soon as you can,” he added.

Scott nodded and thanked the man, and hurried meeting room with the rest of his crew in tow. Entering, he found the representatives from the Initiative held worlds, species representatives and Angaran delegates deep in discussion, a hologram of Podromos sat in the centre of the table, twisted metal and jagged shapes replacing most of the buildings.

“Ah, Pathfinder Ryder, thank you for joining us. We were just discussing how we should respond to the recent Kett attack,” the Asari representative said.

“I had heard there was an attack, not much else though,” Scott replied as he took a seat.

“Do you remember when we first arrived in Andromeda? The planet Tunharaset appeared to have had a large remnant power source that had been removed? Well we think the Kett must have weaponised it, and they’ve returned to the planet in great numbers. It looks like they’re trying to invade.” The Asari informed him.

“Pathfinder Rix was at Podromos when they attacked. He is okay, but his ship was destroyed.”

“But please, we understand you have some news from Khi Tasira for us. What did you learn?” asked the Turian representative.

“We were exploring a sealed room when we came across what claimed to be a station VI. It claimed to know what happened to the Jaardan and that there is a planet outside what we have explored that has an abundance of remnant technology. My science office sent a report ahead for you all to look at,” Scott replied, anxious to learn more about the attack.

“Yes we did examine it earlier. We should send an exploratory team out to investigate, we might find something that will help with the current Kett menace. I think it best we take a short recess while the Nexus decides how to handle the situation.”

With that, the Nexus representatives stood and left the room, which erupted into chatter about the recent events. Scott pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on.

It had been over an hour when the Nexus representatives returned. The chatter died down as they took their seats, and the Asari representative looked around the room before speaking.

“After careful consideration, we have made some decisions about our next steps. The crew of the Tempest will be temporarily redeployed. Sara Ryder and Pelessaria B’Sayle will take a research team and small security escort to the planet discovered in Khi Tasira’s databanks to determine if it is indeed the former Jardaan homeworld,” The Asari representative said.

“Nakmor Drack, Vetra Nyx. You shall join the Pathfinder Theris on Elaaden and attempt to learn more about the Abyssal, and find a way to stop its rampage before it destroys more of the settlements,” She continued.

“Liam Costa, Cora Harper. You are being stationed on Meridian to build a defence in case of Kett attack.” Said the Human representative.

“As for Jaal, Evfra has requested you back on Aya to share what you have learned and prepare a defence there,” Moshae Sjefa added.

“And since the Pathfinder Rix lost his ship, he shall be accompanying Pathfinder Ryder to investigate reports of large scale Kett activity in the Kindrax system, specifically around Tunharaset. You will be meeting Pathfinder Raeka. It’s a lot of Pathfinders for one mission but we need to determine why the Kett have returned to the system,” Said the Turian representative.

“You’ve all been briefed, and this session has reached its conclusion. Good luck out there,” Said the Salarian representative.

The representatives filed out of the meeting room, except for Reyes and the Krogan representative. The Krogan headed towards Drack and Vetra, no doubt to give them some more information on the state of Elaaden.

“This is crap! I can’t believe they’re splitting us up!” Exclaimed Peebee.

“I know it’s not ideal but at least you and Sara get to lead the expedition to Eshillon, that’s what you were hoping for wasn’t it?” Asked Scott.

“Well, yeah it was but I wanted the whole crew to be with us! If we are going to discover the Jardaan homeworld we all deserve to be there,” Peebee said, unhappy.

“You and Sara know a lot more about it than we do, we’d probably get in your way,” Joked Scott.

He hadn’t noticed Reyes approaching from behind him, and jumped a little when the other man put his hand on Scott’s shoulder. Reyes laughed as Scott turned to glare at him.

“Not funny Reyes, you startled me,” He said.

“I’m sorry Scott, perhaps a kiss would make it up to you?” Reyes offered.

Scott nodded the affirmative, circling Reyes’ hips with his hands, eager to meet Reyes’ lips with his own. Peebee rolled her eyes and pretended to gag. Scott flipped her off without breaking contact with Reyes, and she shook her head and left to go speak with Sara, who was talking to Jaal. Reyes broke the kiss, but not Scott’s hold on him. Placing his forehead on his husband’s own, he was silent for a moment before he spoke;

“I hope you realise I’m coming with you on your mission, you’re not getting away from me that easily,”

Scott laughed, it had been so long since they had been together for a significant amount of time, and vid calls and omni sex could only do so much.

“What about your responsibilities here? You’re already running Kadara from a distance, can you represent it too?” He asked.

“Oh I don’t think they’ll miss me too much, my assistants do a lot already, I’m sure they won’t mind,” Reyes replied.

Finally breaking his hold, Scott stepped back and gazed at Reyes, his eyes focused on the older man’s face. He smiled and nodded.

“I’d love to have you come with me, we’ll be a battle couple,”

It was Reyes’ turn to laugh.

“Sounds like a plan,” He said

“But before we get carried away, I believe you owe me a date, and a tour of your new apartment,” Scott said, taking Reyes’ hand.

“Of course, anything for the Pathfinder,” Reyes grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for this short and messy chapter, It has been spliced together from a couple of shorter chapters, and I do not have a beta to look it over currently.


	5. The Grand Tour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the long break between updates, but I'm back now!

Reyes and Scott ran through the corridors of the Nexus like giddy schoolboys, ecstatic about getting some alone time together. Reyes had a firm grip on Scott’s hand as he led the Pathfinder to his new accommodation, intending to keep the Pathfinder to himself for as long as possible. Even here, on one of the Nexus blocks for representatives, everything was slightly more subdued. There were few people outside their suites, and even the exclusive bar that had been established on this section seemed to be quieter than one would expect, the light emitted through the shaded windows the only indication it was open. Turning right past the bar, Reyes carried on towards the end of the corridor and stopped outside one of the doors. Letting go of Scott’s hand to let them in, Reyes spoke without turning his head.

“I warn you, I haven’t had a chance to properly settle in, I still have stuff moving here from Kadara, so don’t judge me too harshly,” he offered slyly.

Scott laughed. “I’m not sure whether I believe you, you always apologise for your place in Kadara and its _immaculate,_ ”

Reyes grinned as the door opened and he led Scott into his new digs. As Scott expected, it was almost perfect. There were a few boxes lying around but nothing major. There was a living space furnished with a pair of sofas, and shelves filled with an assortment of data pads and ornaments, some from the milky way and many from Heleus. Scott could see a few doors that led into other parts of the suite. More than likely a kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. One thing that caught Scott’s eye was the old camera, which was sitting in the middle of one of the shelves, surrounded by pictures of the two of them.

“Getting sentimental Reyes? It almost looks like a normal home,” he teased his husband.

“Why wouldn’t I? We’ve been married long enough for me to have some sentimentality when it comes to you,” Reyes shot back.

“I suppose that’s true,” Scott grinned.

“Now, didn’t you want the grand tour?” asked Reyes.

Leading Scott to one of the doors in the living space, it opened to reveal a spacious, well stocked kitchen, and Scott’s eyes immediately zoomed in on a crate of cherry blossom tea on the top shelf. His eyes lit up as he turned to Reyes.

“Cherry blossom tea? That’s my favourite! How did you manage to find some?”

“I thought you might like it, turns out there was a whole storeroom on the station filled with goods from Earth that survived the collision with the Scourge,” Reyes answered, smiling at Scott’s glee.

Guiding Scott out of the kitchen, lest he ended up spending the next several hours drinking copious amounts of tea, he led Scott up the steps that led out onto a balcony that overlooked a small hydroponics garden that had been installed about a year ago. An artificial breeze carried the scent of flowers up to the pair, and Scott inhaled deeply.  

“This is one of the things I’ve missed being cooped up on stations and ships,” he lamented.

“Nice to hear that I’m competing with plants for what you’ve missed,” Reyes teased.

Scott grinned, and placed his hand on Reyes’ chest, his fingers splayed.

“Don’t get jealous of the flowers, you’re still my favourite and most missed thing,”

“ _Thing?_ Now I’m just offended,” Reyes stepped back, feigning hurt.

Scott rolled his eyes, but was secretly enjoying the antics of his husband. Crossing the space Reyes had just created, he lowered his voice and whispered sultrily into Reyes’ ear.

“How about I make it up to you after the tour?”

“That might help, lucky for you there’s only one major stop left,” Reyes whispered back to Scott, his hand dropping and tracing the lines of Scott’s abs through his shirt.

Scott shivered in pleasure at the long overdue touch, and couldn’t resist running his own hands down Reyes’ sides, resting them on the other man’s hips. Nodding his assent, Reyes moved his hand from Scott’s stomach to the waistline of his trousers and tugged playfully, indicating Scott should follow him. Not turning around once, Reyes kept Scott’s gaze fixed on his own as he expertly guided him in from the balcony and back down to the kitchen, passing through it on their way to the bedroom. Scott’s excitement was rising, as was another part of him that Reyes was only too happy to see.

Using his foot to open the door into the bedroom, Reyes wasted no time. He kissed Scott greedily, with a force that surprised Scott, but it was not unwelcome. He kissed back, his hand pressed to the back of Reyes’ head, gently tugging at his hair. Reyes hummed, enjoying the forceful kiss. His hands roamed over Scott’s body, grabbing every part of his husband’s body he had been deprived of. Reyes pulled Scott onto the bed, the other man’s weight on top of him a welcome pleasure after so long without it. He bit Scott’s lip, toying with him. Scott broke the kiss, and nuzzled Reyes’ neck, his breath cool against his skin. Scott planted a kiss on his neck, before Reyes felt Scott’s teeth gently graze him as the other man left a mark.

Reyes allowed a moan to escape his lips, his hands reaching down Scott’s back to cup the Pathfinder’s firm buttocks, giving them a playful slap. Encouraged, Scott bit down harder. Reyes gasped, tightening his grip on Scott’s ass. Scott quickly replaced his teeth with his tongue, trailing it from the mark he had left on Reyes’ neck up to his ear. The gentle touch caused Reyes to shiver, and Scott placed gentle kisses on the reddened skin as Reyes lifted his shirt up to run a hand along Scott’s firm muscles, his fingers tracing the faint scars that littered his body, a stark reminder of the dangerous role of Pathfinder.

Wordlessly, Scott allowed Reyes to slip his shirt over his head, exposing the rest of his torso. Reyes flipped Scott onto his back, reversing their positions. He kissed Scott’s stomach, working his way up until he captured Scott’s mouth with his own, Scott’s beard tickling his face. Breaking the kiss, Reyes gave Scott a little payback, his teeth fixing onto Scott’s neck. He darted his tongue out, tasting the sweat that was forming. Reyes worked his way across Scott’s body, biting and kissing, leaving marks across his torso. _Mine,_ they said.

Reaching his goal, Reyes lifted Scott’s waistband, exposing his glistening erection. Scott’s eyes, hooded with desire, watched intently as Reyes used his tongue to lick the head of his manhood. Taking a breath, Reyes swallowed Scott entirely. He worked his way up and down the shaft, each time taking as much of Scott as he could. Scott’s eyes were closed and he let his head tilt back, unfocused on anything except the warmth of Reye’s mouth. He let the moans and gasps escape freely.

Reyes was paying close attention to the hitches in Scott’s breathing, every pant and moan arousing him more. He resisted the urge to free his own erection, right now was all about Scott. His hands busied themselves with slipping Scott’s trousers off without interrupting his rhythm.

_Up._

_Down._

_Up._

_Down._

_Slow, long._

Reyes ran his hands over Scott’s exposed legs, gently caressing them as he moved closer to his inner thighs. Almost reverently, Reyes let Scott’s erection out of him mouth, slick with spit. He trailed his tongue down the length of the shaft, and darted his tongue between Scott’s cheeks. Scott’s eyes widened, and he bit his lip to stop himself from calling out. Reyes expertly used his tongue, making Scott’s eyes water. He let out a whimper, overcome by the sensation of Reyes’ talented rimming.

“Reyes, please, I need you,” Scott begged.

Reyes grinned. Just the words he wanted to hear. He stood, unzipping his trousers. Peppering Scott with light kisses as he prepared to enter him. Slowly and gently, he slid in. Scott hissed at he felt Reyes push inside him, but soon relaxed as the sensation gave way to pleasure. Reyes began to go deeper, his speed increasing as he hit Scott’s g-spot. Scott’s pants and curses spurred Reyes on, and he curled his hand around Scott’s neck, squeezing gently.

Scott could barely keep control. The feeling of Reyes inside him. Pounding. The stinging of Reyes’ bites. His hand gripping his neck with a light force. Scott lost his composure. His breathing hitched. His back arched as he approached climax.  

Reyes quickly bent over and covered the head of Scott’s manhood as he released. His hot, salty seed erupted in Reyes’ mouth. Without missing a drop, Reyes swallowed it all, his mouth taking all of Scott. Scott shivered as waves of pleasure rolled across his body. His pants the only sound he could hear. Reyes continued thrusting. His own speed increasing before he filled Scott. He slowed down, and the pair stayed motionless, overcome with a post climax high. Reyes was the first to move, sliding out of Scott and planting a kiss on Scott’s lips.

“You really did miss me,” he teased.

“Looks like you missed me too,” Scott retorted.

Reyes laughed. Standing up, he motioned for Scott to follow. Opening a door that led to a bathroom, Reyes indicated to the shower.

“Thought you might want to freshen up,”

“Are you trying to say I stink?” Scott feigned mock hurt

“Not at all, Pathfinder, in fact I was going to join you,”

Scott smiled and stepped into the shower, Reyes behind him. The hot water was refreshing, but it stung the various marks the two had left on each other. Silently enjoying each other’s company, they spent their time washing each other. Slow, deliberate movements filled with care.

By the time they had left the shower and dried off it was early evening on the Nexus. Opting to sleep instead of going out for a meal or a drink, Scott got into bed, and curled up next to Reyes, resting his head on the other man’s chest.

“Sorry, I’m just so tired,” said Scott.

“I don’t mind, so long as you’re with me I don’t care what we do,” Reyes replied.

“Love you,” Scott said through a yawn.

“I love you too Scott,” said Reyes as Scott quickly drifted off.

* * *

 

Scott was on the Tempest, but something was off. His movements were slow, and a high-pitched siren pierced his ears.

“What’s going on?” he tried to ask Kallo, but the pilot remained silent.

Getting closer, Scott realised why Kallo wasn’t answering his question. The pilot was dead. A large hole had replaced what should have been his left eye. Around the hole his skin looked like it had started to rot, cartilage clearly visible. Scott recoiled in shock, feeling sick.

“Pathfinder, what’s happening?” a scared voice asked.

Scott turned around. It was Suvi. He arm was in a bloody sling, but the worst injury was the skin peeling off of her neck, exposing muscle and bone.

“Suvi? What’s happened to you?” asked Scott, horrified.

“I don’t- I don’t know. Ryder, Kallo, he- he,” Suvi couldn’t finish her sentence, she slid down the wall in tears.

“I’m going to find Lexi, She’ll know what to do. I’ll be back Suvi,” said Scott, taking off towards the med bay.

The sight he was greeted with left him wanting to throw up. Drack was collapsed in the corner, no flesh left on his skull. Three body bags were also in the room. Scott approached them, reading the names. Liam Kosta. Vetra Nyx. Peebee. Lexi was not in the med bay, so Scott cautiously walked towards engineering. Cora’s corpse, relatively undamaged, was slumped over a console. A gun was on the floor just in front of her. Seeing no one else, Scott panicked.

“You did this,” Gil’s voice echoed.

“You let us die Scott. Why? Do we really mean nothing to you” the voice accused him.

“I don’t know what’s happening. Please Gil, what’s going on. Why is everyone dead?”

Gil limped from behind the Nomad, hate filled his eyes.

“You got careless. Ignored the risk. And now look, we’re dead because you just had to chase after a story,”

“No, I didn’t- I don’t understand. Gil? GIL!”

* * *

 

Scott was woken by Reyes shaking him.

“Scott! Scott! Wake up!”

“Reyes, what-“

“You were having a nightmare. You were thrashing about screaming,” Reyes told him, gently pulling him into a hug.

“It wasn’t the Roekaar again was it” he asked.

“N-no, it wasn’t. I don’t really want to talk about it Reyes. I’d rather forget,” Scott replied.

“Okay,” Reyes said gently.

“How about we take a shower and go get some breakfast?” he asked.

Scott noticed that the artificial early morning light was filtering through the blinds and stayed silent for a moment before nodding.

* * *

 

Elsewhere on the Nexus, Sara woke from a deep sleep. Surprised to be up so early despite going out and drinking heavily with some of the crew, she tried to shake her grogginess off and reached for the glass of water by the bed. She felt a little uneasy, but put that down to a delicate stomach and resolved to go and get something light to eat from the kitchen. She threw on some clothes, not noticing the message that was deleting itself from her email terminal.

Ryder must be eliminated.


	6. The Nexus Market

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boo! I'm back with an update. my apologies for having a long delay again.

Sara was still groggy as she left her room. Thankfully, since the expansion of the Initiative, Pathfinder teams were no longer stuck using their ships as sleeping quarters when on shore leave.  Which meant no one had seen her inelegant display when getting dressed, or her mad dash to the bathroom when breakfast had decided not to agree with her. _Be thankful for the small things,_ she thought, not wanting to even imagine the ribbing people like Drack or Vetra would give her. She and Pebee, along with a small research team, were due to ship out today to investigate the coordinates provided Khi Tasira. Hopefully whatever they found would shed some more light on the Jardaan, especially if the strange VI-AI system was right about it being the Jardaan homeworld and source of the scourge.

She still had a few hours to kill so she figured she may as well head to the market. Scott and Reyes’ anniversary was in a couple of days and she still needed a card and a gift for them. Thanks to a slip of the tongue courtesy of Lexi, the crew knew that Drack’s birthday was soon, and after a whip-round she had been given the money to get him a new shotgun. It had been decided that since they were being split up they would give it to him before they went their separate ways. Gil had bet 500 credits that Drack would be using it within twelve hours of getting it.

Walking along the corridor at a leisurely pace, Sara could hear the sounds of the Nexus starting to get into full swing. While most parts of the Nexus were open and populated twenty-four hours a day, the residential sections adhered to a strict night and day cycle, with noise rules after 10pm. The artificial early morning light was starting to give way to a midday glow all over the station, and the residential corridors were becoming more populated. Sara passed a group of Quarians, discussing a potential move to Eos. Thanks to the distress signal sent out by the Quarian Pathfinder, her brother and the other Pathfinder’s had been able to locate the Quarian Ark and retrieve it bringing an influx of Quarian, Hanar, Volus, Drell and Elcor colonists, with a few Batarians who had hidden themselves away in the ship. Whatever the problem was, no one would discuss it. Only the ships essential crew and Pathfinder team were out of cryo at the time, and along with the other Pathfinder’s remain tight-lipped. A fact that had infuriated Director Tann. It was a mystery only a few would ever know the answer to.

After taking a slight detour to admire the new fountain that had been installed, Sara found herself in the Nexus market. It had appeared shortly after the Archon had been defeated in one of the docking bays that had been abandoned after the Nexus had first encountered the scourge. Nexus leadership had originally been adamant that it needed to be removed once the rest of the station had finished construction, but years later and several surprisingly vulgar letters to Tann and it still remained in its original location, bigger and vibrant than the ramshackle group of smugglers who had originally set up shop. The upper level of the former docking bay had been converted to host a number of restaurants and bistros, with a selection of food shops sprinkled in-between.  

The lower market, originally the landing bay, was jam packed with vendors hawking wares from both the Milky Way and the Angara, with a handful of hybrid items that were becoming increasingly popular. Sara was examining one such item when her omni-tool beeped, alerting her to an incoming message. Bringing it up, she checked the sender and sighed. _Addison._

Bringing up the full message, Sara read it slowly, preferring to read it now rather than later, to avoid the dozen other emails the colonial director would no doubt send if she ignored it.

Ryder,

It’s been a while since we spoke. Forgive my abruptness but I would like to see you before you depart on your mission, I’ve received several worrying reports from various mayors that I think you may be able to help with while you’re on Meridian. Please come to my office when you have a moment.

Regards,

F. Addison 


Director of Colonial Affairs

Andromeda Initiative

For once it seemed like Addison actually had a valid reason for speaking with her, so Sara fired a quick email back, likely filled with spelling mistakes, that assured Addison that she would visit her before the end of the day. Turning her attention back the market, Sara had a sudden desire to waste as much time as possible, so she wandered over to a nearby clothing shop and examined the outfits that were on display. Her eye was drawn to a tartan blazer that mimicked an old earth style. It had stripes of red that cut through subdued greens and blues, with a plain black lapel that kept the colour from diverting attention away from the face. It had been paired with a simple white shirt and navy trousers, and a practical but stylish boot. Figuring that she was due an outfit change, and with Scott’s anniversary coming up, she decided on picking up the ensemble. Thanks to a card Reyes had given to her for her birthday a couple of years ago, she paid for the clothes with no worry the card would be rejected. He never said how, but the card always seemed to have enough to pay for anything she wanted, no matter how extravagant the cost.

Leaving the shop, she headed towards a gun shop she had spotted the last time she had visited the market. She had picked it out as the place to get Drack his shotgun due to its abundance of choice and its proclivity for customisation that technically fell outside of Initiative rules. She was greeted by a gruff looking Turian, who asked a few questions about the desired firearm, it’s size, bullet compatibility, and any ‘extra’ features desired. He took Sara’s answers down and compiled a couple of designs for her to consider. Selecting the larger design, that would fit a Krogan’s hands comfortably, she paid and arranged to have the weapon delivered to the Tempest by the end of the day.

Happy with her purchases, she decided she would visit Addison now so that she could get it over with. She had barely made it three feet outside when she heard SAM’s voice in her ear.

“Sara, I have received an emergency signal from the Tempest. Suvi is requesting all crew return immediately,”

“Why? Has she found some-“

She was unable to finish her sentence as a loud shot rang out across the bustling marketplace. Ducking instinctively, she looked around the area for whatever had caused the noise, but found it almost impossible as a panic had overwhelmed the crowd, and dozens of people were screaming and running in all directions. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she spotted a suspicious looking figure walking away quickly. Making a split-second decision, she took off after the figure, determined to figure out what the hell had just happened.

In her haste, she didn’t see her brother emerging from one of the shops nearby. He called out after her, but she didn’t hear him. Scott looked round at the frantic crowd, looking for Reyes, who had been outside when he had heard the shot. Not spotting him, Scott made a split-second decision to follow after Sara, to see what was going on. Purely by luck, he saw Reyes a little further ahead, apparently also following Sara. Speeding up his pace to catch up to his husband, he fell into step beside him, grunting between breaths.

“What the hell is going on Reyes?”

Reyes glanced at him, and replied.

“Not sure, sounded like a gunshot, I saw Sara running after someone so I decided to follow her as backup,”

Nodding, Scott kept pace with Reyes, neither speaking while attempting to catch up with Sara, who was frantically attempting to memorise any distinctive features on the figure trying to escape.

“Sara, the Pathfinder and Mr Vidal are close behind you. Additionally, I was able to scan the individual currently fleeing. They are human, but their Initiative records are blank. Someone has erased them, so I am unable to identify them,” SAM announced.

“Okay, thanks SAM,” replied Sara.

The figure turned a corner, but when Sara turned there was no sight of them in the corridor. Sara stopped running, stunned by this mysterious disappearance. This allowed Scott and Reyes to catch up to her, Scott practically doubled over attempting to catch his breath.

“What. The. Hell. Just. Happened.” He wheezed.


End file.
